Writing Prompts

Prompt 1

Write a travel report on a country of your choice. You may choose to recount the activities or alternatively your overall experience of the whole journey!

You can read Nathan Yen's Joyful Japan for inspiration, or Jason Zhao's Fun in Fiji for inspiration.

Prompt 2

Describe a place that is important to you and explain why it is important or significant to you. You will be judged on how well you express yourself and convey your description of the place and your feeling about it.

For inspiration, read Ethan Ou's Splendid Seas, Nathan Yen's My Second Home and Leon A's My Wonderful Home.

Prompt 3

The Discovery

Write a narrative (story) based on the idea of “A discovery”.

Your story may be about a new scientific discovery. It may be the discovery of a hidden secret or a hidden place. It may be the discovery of traits in someone who you thought you knew well.

You can read Leon A's The Strange Silhouette for inspiration.

Prompt 4

Using ONE of the following statements as a basic idea, write a letter which seeks to persuade the reader to agree with your point of view.

• We should all recycle if we are to save our planet.

• Plastic bags should be banned.

• Do something for the planet by walking, not driving.

• We need more playing fields.

• Don’t waste water.

Your writing will be judged on how well you present your point of view and express yourself in a persuasive manner.

For inspiration, read Leon A's Letter to the Prime Minister.

Prompt 5

Write a diary entry for the year 2099. You can write it from your own perspective or the perspective of a fictional character. Be creative in terms of content. Think about how life in terms of work/ school/ daily activities might be different.

You can look at Nathan Yen's Into the Future for inspiration.

Prompt 6

Write a story about an issue in sustainability relevant to you. You can look at the example The Lush Forests by Nathan Yen for inspiration.

Prompt 7

Use one of the following quotes below to write a speech to inspire others.

"Being different isn’t a bad thing. It means you’re brave enough to be yourself.”(J.K Rowling)

“Always remember that you are absolutely unique. Just like everyone else.” (Margaret Mead)

“There are only two times. Now and too late.” (Anh Do)

“I raise my voice – not so that I can shout, but so that those without a voice can be heard.”(Malala Yousafzai)

“Learning is a gift, even when pain is your teacher.” (Michael Jordan)

“You are never too small to make a difference.” (Greta Thunberg)

“May your choices reflect your hopes not your fears.” (Nelson Mandela)

Prompt 8

Many writers like to recount their experiences. This gives them an opportunity to reflect on life lessons. The use of anecdotes lends the text depth and makes it more memorable. Your task is to write a story which conveys one of the following messages:

• Celebrate different cultures, embrace differences

• Reading and literature is very important

• Importance of family and belonging

Prompt 9

Choose one of the following to write a persuasive text.

1. Should students be banned from using social media?

2. Should students take on casual and part time work outside of school?

3. Should children be paid for helping out with household chores?

Prompt 10

Write a short fictional narrative to shed light on the harsh realities of war and dispel myths about the glory of war. You can imagine yourself as if you are Wilfred Owens in the poem Mental Cases where you see traumatised soldiers. Alternatively, you can develop your own character.

Prompt 11

Food can conjure up many memories. Sometimes, food can teach us important life lessons. After reading Granma’s Kimchi and Coffee + Coffee Shops, write a story about a food significant to you in the format of a montage essay.

Prompt 12

Trapped. Many people may feel trapped. This may be because they are physically trapped or it could be due to them feeling mentally trapped. Write a narrative about a person who overcomes their sense of entrapment. Your character may be metaphorically trapped by a negative mindset. Alternatively, they can be physically trapped in a prison or anything you can imagine. Use as many literary techniques such as similes and metaphors to evoke sympathy towards your protagonist.

Prompt 13

Perseverance enables us to survive past hardship and difficult journeys. Write a creative piece which teaches a lesson about overcoming adversity through resilience. Keep your characters to a maximum of two and focus more on writing evocative scenes.

Prompt 14

Write a creative story about surviving in the city that reveals a sense of optimism and perseverance. Limit your story to the city landscape and have a maximum of two characters. Use lots of figurative language to describe emotions so you show and not tell. Double check your spelling and punctuation. Use literary techniques such as metaphors and similes.

Prompt 15

Write a persuasive text on one of the following topics:

• Can online learning replace physical classrooms?

• Should high school students find work experience outside of school?

• Is having classroom pets a good idea?